Closer to the true Pronunciation

We just came back from the ID office to get my temporary ID - the card that gets me through any gate, into any facility including the school, borrows books from the library...you get the picture.

While checking in at the counter the man said my name, LaLani, for verification. I overheard Steve say, "Yes. You pronounced it perfectly! That doesn't happen very often."

Steve is actually wrong. It NEVER happens - in the U.S. that is. Anyone that has not lived in Hawaii for a significant amount of time butchers my name the first time they see it. I have put up with this for nearly 40 years (we won't actually disclose just HOW close to 40 it has been) and I'm at the point where I don't think twice about it until someone actually gets it right the first time. My skin has toughened up quite a bit since junior high, when I created the nickname of "Lani" to lessen the opportunities for mistakes. Substitute teachers were the absolute worst.

However in Saudi Arabia, I think I have a fighting chance of having a "normal" name. I obviously haven't started studying Arabic yet, so my reasoning for their pronunciation may all be bunk. But my guess is that in Arabic, the "a" sound is often not (maybe never?) a long "a" as in lake, or a short "a" as in cat. Rather, mostly I'm hearing the sound like a short "o" as in lost. Which if you apply to both of the "a" vowels in my name and say it quickly, you get much closer to an acceptable pronunciation of my name.

(I know you were all sitting there trying it aloud. The thought of that makes me chuckle!)

Every time we establish ourselves in a new location, I always say to myself that I'm going to stop going by "Lani" and introduce myself to all my new friends as "LaLani." I never do. Maybe this time will be different. I am certainly inspired to make more effort in introducing myself with the name my parents gave me. At the very least, I won't be cringing quite as often when hearing my name read aloud by strangers.